2012-04-14 Sat - London to Brighton off-road (29er day out)

Interested in doing this, perhaps on a week day in late spring.

Found the route that the BHF used on one of their charity rides:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/London-to-Brighton-off-orad

Looks eminently doable so long as we have a GPS that works for the duration and can cover when to turn on the parts that aren't on roads/bridleways.

Anyone else interested? Say, mid or late May?

[Edit]
This is on Saturday 14th April.

Start from Dorking Station at 10am (train from Waterloo is 50 mins to Dorking, go check the times)
End is the Fortune of War pub, down on the beach promenade, next to the chippy, betwix the two piers.

It will be a very long day. Be prepared.

I've wanted to do this one for a while, good idea.

1. Velocio
   
2. tom k&e
   

I would also like to do this.
Could you make it April instead?

i would be interested (on ss 26er :) but weekday is tricky

late April then?

on a Saturday?

It can't be sooner... my bike isn't supposed to be ready for another 2 weeks, so I've got to give it 2 months just to be sure.

My bike is in pieces, some of which I haven't ordered yet....
I'll get back to London Late April, will check back in a month to see if I've got all the parts I want/ need.
(in other words don't go changing the date for me- if I can make it I'll make it- if I can't I'll force you all to do it again later in the year.)

hmm sounds like fun - would be on a cross bike however.

This sounds ace, up for this + a mate
can only do 14th April or 5th May though so if it doesnt fall on those dates then I'll be sure to catch you on the next one thats planned

late April then?

on a Saturday?
sounds good

I could be down for this if I'm free at the right time.

if the date works this sounds ace.

Sounds immensely fun, just need a new saddle so i can change the brooks one if needs be

I'm up for this depending on exact date chosen. Weekend would definitely be preferable.

Sounds awesome

Ive entered the BHF one, gonna do it on my L'Eroica bike(good training.....so will do this as well,but only have 'normal wheels' is that ok? nice one

Expression of interest (date depending) here also.

Aye, this sounds good. Date yet?

Nope, not yet. But that's mostly because I still don't have my bike yet ;)

Interested, though probably on a Kona Sutra tourer with cyclocross tyres. Do you think that would be realistic?

Probably more realistic than 100 miles single speed on a 29er. So yes.

Looking at the map, the first part at least looks like tow-path type stuff- how "off road" does this get?

i.e. would my CX bike get trashed, or would it be a decent choice?

I've not done this route. This is the BHF off-road route.

Given that it's the BHF route, it's not going to get hairy... from the bits I zoomed in one, it's tow paths, bridleways, forest paths, etc.

Well worn right of ways, and short sections on lesser roads to connect the paths together.

None of it looks hairy from the Google Maps flyover, but the real challenge is simply 100 miles on mud, gravel, grass. Sucks all the energy out of you.

I very much doubt your bike will be trashed, but I would bet you (and most of us) would have sore arses by the end.

What I will do, before the ride... is reccy the first 20 miles of it beyond Hampton Court to see how it fares, whether it's easily navigable, and what kind of terrain they've put the route through.

I'm not intending to do the whole ride before the ride... just enough to get an idea of whether the route can be trusted and appears suitable.

Get the train to Dorking and then do the second half of the ride?

I'd be up for that.